Poetry Pleases: Changing Times
Brian Jenkinson’s poem features a grumpy 21st Century Wenceslas.
Charlie Wenceslas looked in
On the feast of Urcial
In the darkened sitting room
Watching a commercial.
Brightly shone the tube that night
And the fire was ruddy.
At the door a poor man knocked,
Starved and cold and muddy.
“Hither, wife, come stand by me,
If thou know’st it telling;
Yonder nuisance, who is he?
What on earth’s he selling?”
“He lives but a stone throw hence,
Poor old Mr. Mountain,
Just beyond our garden fence,
Next door to The Fountain.”
“Bring me chicken, bring me wine.
I have no intention
To feed all the starving poor.
Mountain’s got his pension.
Now I’ve come up on the pools,
Here I sits and lazes;
That old man and all such fools
They can go to blazes.”
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